Japanese Public Sector Employment

“Public sector” here is defined as national and local government organizations involved in both non-industrial and industrial activities. Non-industrial public employees are covered by specific laws differing from the trade union law covering the private sector and the other two laws concerning public industrial employees. Public employees are theoretically entitled to the basic rights of workers stipulated under Article 28 of the constitution, but are, in fact, deprived of the right to strike. Furthermore, non-industrial public employees are prohibited from undertaking collective bargaining.1